While we Austinites may have been lamenting the start of 2010 with the University of Texas’ loss to ‘Bama in the BCS Championship, down at the coolest venue in town, theMohawk, local indie-rock titansUmewere ringing in the new year with burst eardrums and blood-curdling guitar-squalls, reaffirming their presence at the best rock group the capital city has to offer. The trio of Lauren, Eric, and Jake hiss and pound like a well-oiled deathmachine, trading off the pulsating forward momentum from instrument to instrument – from the propelling bass crashes, to the whip-crack guitar wails, to the careening drumlines, all add up to an equation of mayhem and fury that’s as much indebted to hardcore punk sentiments as shoegaze, pedal-happy antics. The group pounded through an all-too-short set that seemed to flow seamlessly from one song to the next, the silences in-between only serving as an opportunity for the audience to take a breath and empty the blood from their ears. Definitely watch out for these guys in 2010.
Ume will be on tour this summer and are busy recording a full-length LP, due this year. Tune in to Cannibal Cheerleader for an upcoming video interview we did with the band. Much more to come so stay hungry…
NEW CRYSTAL CASTLES REMIX VIDEO Here’s a new video from Cannibal Cheerleader favorite Crystal Castles for their remix of White Lies‘ “Death” off the latter’s To Lose My Life… LP which leaked on this site way back in the day over here. A bizarre and psychedelic dark journey through a suburban teenager’s adolescence, the video churns and lumbers forward on the back of E. Kath’s driving basslines – definitely a video worth watching, check it below!
Crystal Castles – “Death (White Lies Remix)” ******************************************************************** WOLVES IN THE THRONE ROOM LIVE IN AUSTIN A night of black metal mayhem and mind-blowing muscianship (check for Norwegian in-jokes there) last night at Emo’s here in Austin with Wolves in the Throne Room leading a killer lineup that also included Neurosis’ heir apparent A Storm of Light and Atx’s own the Roller. The Roller kicked off the night with a banshee-screaming bang, pummeling through several barn-burning odes to blackened death metal with a Southern edge, screaming of equal parts Eyehategod and Venom, with drone-infusions bleeding into inflections of guitar-shredding classicism. Featuring a brand new bassist, the Roller seem poised to explode outside the Austin scene and onto the black metal market. A Storm of Light followed, featuring a sound-mix loud enough to seep between one’s ribs and rip the air out of the lungs within. As visuals of a giant sea-creatures and wrecked vessels sinking into the black ocean projected behind the three-piece, the massive boom of the band, coupled with their extreme stage presence and fierce instrumentation, recalled images of noise-era Swans or early Neurosis, unrelenting in its massive, morose spectacle. Indeed, the band featured female vocal stylings (care of a laptop) from none other than Jarboe of Swans fame, and when the lead guitarist of Wolves in the Throne Room hopped onstage for a song, the collaborative nature of the band became even more apparent. Overall, an incredibly tough act to follow. Wolves in the Throne Room took to the stage next very slowly, lighting candles around the drum kit and tinkering with their tuning all in full view of a near-capacity crowd. Not known for their low-register bass work, WITTR sounded unbelievably shrill and fierce in their mid-range pitch after the heavy doom inflections of ASOF. Nonetheless, after a few songs the band truly stepped into their own, allowing subtle melodies and shocking changeups to carry the churning swell of their music to their darkest heights. Halfway through their set the band, absolutely soaked with sweat, found a transcendant chord in their guitar-work, combining a shoegaze atmosphere with a deep and dreadful sense of horror, the acidic lead vocals slicing a bloody path through the middle of the cloud of thunderous sound. Collapsing in a literal heap as their set wound to a close, the band did not play an encore, their reign already cemented over the room full of adoring fans. These guys will be playing again in Austin in July – you can count on Cannibal Cheerleader being there with bells on. Wolves in the Throne Room – “Vastness and Sorrow” ******************************************************************** NEW BAND CHEER: THE AXONS Lots of great finds this week at Cannibal Cheerleader, beginning with the Axons, a Zombies-infused bedroom pop trio right here out of Austin, Texas who boast a signature sound that’s equal parts fresh cuts of psychedelia and classic-rock British invasion. Discovering this group at a recent art-gallery after party at a sleezy downtown bar, the band seemed poised to blow every other act out of the water with their simple template and pitch-perfect execution. What the Strokes did to the Velvet Underground and Vampire Weekend did to Graceland, the Axons, led by the inimitable Merritt Fields does to the Kinks. Check out the mp3 and a few videos from the show below!
The Axons – “A Falconer’s Lament” ******************************************************************** UME KICK OFF MASSIVE TOUR Cannibal Cheerleader local-faves Ume are beginning a trek across the the Northeast, winding back down to the Southern states all this June. Check out the rad poster above for this completely rad and underappreicated fuzz-rock trio. Definitely pick up their Sunshowers EP if you haven’t already, it’s one of our favorites of the year so far!
Ume – “Sunshower” ******************************************************************** NEW JEMINA PEARL TRACKS Seems as if all that posting on Puke Til You Punk wasn’t just blowing (puking) steam – Jemina Pearl of the inimitable and sadly departed Be Your Own Pet has been busy and she’s got a trio of new tracks that’re just begging to be eaten alive. Featuring the same tried and true vocal stylings that propelled BYOP through today’s punk rock muck and mire, the new solo material seems cleaner and more headphone-oriented, with sing-songy lyrics and a summery, care-free vibe. A different approach to the solo career than we expected Pearl to take (less blood and guts, more dance parties and bedroom casettes) but we can’t help but be excited for a Jemina pop album. Anyone got the mp3s? We ask because for now the tracks are only streaming over at the JP Myspace. Check it out!
Jemina Pearl – “Sheena Is A Punk Rocker (feat. Thurston Moore)” ******************************************************************** NEW BAND CHEER: DIAL Another awesome find, this time care of the cats of Brooklyn Vegan – DIAL, a trio from New Zealand, pack a wallop of a grindcore-influenced, experimentally edged, female vocalizing hardcore with a nod towards the more math-rock side of the metal music scene. With the recent announcement of personal favorite Robotic Empire rereleasing the band’s self-titled EP, interest has skyrocketed in a band whose main hook include a woman screaming ‘THE MASS GRAVE!’ at the top of her lungs. More power to this completely wicked, shrill, and venomous rock act. Makes us want to revisit our grindcore days in force.
DIAL – “Always at the Border” ******************************************************************** MARS VOLTA REVEAL OCTAHEDRON When Omar Rodriguez-Lopez, lead guitarist of prog-rock powerhouse and wildly imaginative musical extravaganza the Mars Volta, stated that the band’s new album Octahedron would be their “acoustic” album, one must’ve realized the news had to be taken with a grain of salt. Sure the album contains some slower, more ‘Pink Floyd/Yes’-influenced sweeps of grandeur, though from the band who crafted “Televators” and “The Widow” this shouldn’t come as a surprise. The novelty instead exists in the undercurrent of serenity to the album, a psychedelic dip into a sensory-deprivation chamber rather than a furiously frightening acid trip gone wonderfully wrong like in the Bedlam in Goliath. Which isn’t to say the album doesn’t have its rockers – tracks like “Cotopaxi” would give even the likes of “Drunkship of Lanterns” a run for their money as a soon-to-be fan favorite and even “Luciforms” has a level of monstrous energy that propels its melody along. On the whole however, the flow of the songs from one into the next create an air of purpose and message, not the disparateness of past works by the Volta, and in doing so the band has created without a doubt their most accessible, and in some ways one of their most enjoyable works yet. Awesome stuff, check it below.
The Mars Volta – “Desperate Graves” The Mars Volta – “Teflon” ******************************************************************** NEW BAND CHEER: IWRESTLEDABEARONCE Our grindcore itch has been getting out of hand recently, and seeing as this group was recently reviewed in our favorite magazine ever – we’re of course talking about Fangoria – we had to check Iwrestledabearonce out (if only for their completely awesome name). With a blazingly original sound that combines electronic-experimentation, guitar-shredding breakdowns, and equal-part shriek/sing female vocals, IWABO meets all the prerequisites for being one of Cannibal Cheerleader’s favorite new bands. To hear it is to understand it so we recommend you click the video below and download some of the following tracks with great haste – warning, may melt face. PS. Avoid the hipster accusations; nobody likes a scenester and frankly, if you’re a grindcore scenester I think that means we can legally kill you.
Iwrestledabearonce – “Danger in the Manger” Iwrestledabearonce – “See You In Shell” ******************************************************************** NEW AGENT RIBBONS INTERVIEW VIDEO Here’s a wonderful little interview video from the ladies in Agent Ribbons that we had to plug if only for their adorable red hair color. The ladies are reveal their upcoming work on their second album and what the future holds for the band. Oh ladies, steal me away…
Agent Ribbons – “Obituary” ******************************************************************** (OLD) BAND CHEER: AGORAPHOBIC NOSEBLEED Sometimes we here at Cannibal Cheerleader get to the party late, and that’s certainly the case when it comes to one of our favorite new (i.e. new to us) acts, the monolithic, infamous grindcore band Agoraphobic Nosebleed. This fearsome foursome has been around for quite some time apparently in different forms though the band’s newest release Agorapocalypse includes Kat from personal favorite Salome, which is how we stumbled across this band to begin with. If you haven’t heard of this absolutely pummeling grindcore act you owe it to yourself to check it out – and if you’re a longtime fan, the new LP deserves a re-listen immediately. This band kills indiscriminately, employing three different vocalists and a blazing cavalcade of guitars and drum machines behind the haunting wails and spitfire vocal assault. Seriously, get on this n-o-w.
Agoraphobic Nosebleed – “First National Stem Cell and Clone” Agoraphobic Nosebleed – “Trauma Queen” ******************************************************************** BUSDRIVER REVEALS JHELLI BEAM We here at Cannibal Cheerleader fondly remember our halcyon days of underground rap obsession, backpacker allegiance and Cannibal Ox worship, and one of our top acts of yesteryear Busdriver has just burst back onto the scene with his latest opus, Jhelli Beam, a return to form for an artist whose Roadkill Overcoat, while containing superior wordplay sacrificed his more abstract tendencies for pop listenability. The fourteen tracks that make up the motor-mouth rapper’s newest LP not only delight in experimentation but embrace it with force, with bizarre feed-back loops darting behind the fever-dream lyricism Busdriver has become known for. One of our favorite releases of the year so far, bar none. Definitely check out a few of the mp3s below and let us know what you think!
Busdriver – “Handfuls of Sky” Busdriver – “Least Favorite Rapper (feat. Nocando)” ******************************************************************** STREAM NOUVELLE VAGUE’S NV3 To wrap up this massive update head on over to Nouvelle Vague’s Myspace page and give a listen to their excellent third collection of French-noir-film inspired covers. This time the list of covered artists seems even more far-reaching, including Depeche Mode, the Sex Pistols, and even the Violent Femmes. Definitely shoot on over.
Delivering a pummeling performance that rivaled hardcore shoegaze stalwarts, Austin’s own Ume celebrated Emo’s free week by brining their searing brand of experimental punk rock to a packed inside stage. Showcasing tracks from their new Sunshower EP, the trio blazed through fiery anthems that soared with guitar heroics one moment and seethed with hushed, noodly undertones the next. With the driving rhythms of drummer Jeff Barrera and Eric Larson creating a captivating underlying layer, lead shredder Lauren Larson snarled through songs old and new, whipping the guitar back and forth, over and her head and down to the stage with incredible virtuosity. Sounding like a lo-fi Sonic Youth, Ume have captured a new, electric sound that’s as fuzz-filled and shimmering as it is bloody and sharp. Pictures below:
Picking up the new UmeSunshower EP at their show last night, we spent the last 18 hours playing the five blazing tracks on repeat. With trembling, hushed vocals giving way to carnage-inducing guitar lines, Sunshowers reveals the incredible power behind the three members local band. Standout tracks include “Sunshower”, “The Means”, and “The Conductor”. Highly recommended, pick it up at the band’s EP release show Saturday Jan. 24th at the Mohawk. Check it out.
One of Cannibal Cheerleader’s favorite metal acts Kylesa have a new album entitled Static Tensions being released this year (March 17th) that promises to deliver the same fiery antics that we’ve come to expect from the Atlanta metal scene over the past few years. Brooklyn Vegan has an excellent story about the album, including the cover art (above), and a link to Laura Pleasants’ Flickr page (which shows some truly classic pictures of new artwork, bonding time with Mastodon, and other metal goodies). Can’t wait for this one!
Happy New Years Cannibal Cheerleader faithful! Whether you’re just tuning in or you’re an old-school follower, we’d like you to know that 2009 is going to blow 2008 out of the water here on the blog. We’ve had more than one ‘returning to the fold’ post but this one represents a new direction, a dedication to creating new content, new videos, and introducing more new music. The blogosphere collectively suffers from multiple ailments: story-swapping, shameless copying, ‘hipster-dom’, and a general lack of originality. I’d like to think Cannibal Cheerleader is the cure for what ails you, the reader of the common everyday music blog. Let the CC crew rip out the old and inject you with a healthy dosage of bloody good music. This is Cannibal Cheerleader 2009 – we won’t let you down.
One of our favorite Austin bands Balmorhea continue to creep closer to the March 10th release of their third LP All is Wild, All is Silent on the excellent Western Vinyl and they’re celebrating by releasing a new track per week on their Myspace until the album drops. Check out the excellent “Settler” this week. Also, we recently recorded a video of the group performing tracks from their new album at a show at Austin’s own Parish. Check it out below!
While we can’t purport to know every band that calls the music capital of the world its home, we’re shocked the utterly fantastic local group known as Ume managed to fly under our radar for so long. A trio originally from Houston this group packs the energy of Sonic Nurse era Youth (with Kim Gordon vocals care of lead-shredder and riot grrrl Lauren Larson) and combines it with a furious punk drive that gives way to haunting minimalism in parts. Ume is a complicated band deserving of repeated listens and multiple viewings – luckily we’ll be checking them out this very Thursday at Emo’s Free Week! Come down and check them out out.
Check out this Brooklyn Vegan report on the happenings of the one and only Crystal Castles and their late night New Year’s Eve antics at Music Hall of Williamsburg. Seems like the show(s) was beyond wild, featuring hits old and new. Check out this video below of the group performing what I believe to be “Yes/No”, a track that will be featured on their sophomore LP. Rumors abound about who will be producing the album (Rick Rubin tops this list) and when production will start (ASAP we hope) so if anyone has any Crystal Castles news, hook us up people!
******************************************************************** AS DID MY MORNING JACKET
After a lauded performance at Bonnaroo 2008, it seemed that My Morning Jacket couldn’t possibly top themselves. Only that they have, with their ringing in of the New Year with a performance at Madison Square Garden in NYC. Go here for pictures but more importantly go HERE to download the live set, which features Marvin Gaye covers, MMJ rarities, and a classic countdown. Check it out immediately.
An amusing anecdote for the Cannibal Cheerleader faithful. It’s no small secret that we’re huge horror fans here at CC, so imagine our surprise when we Google ‘cannibal cheerleader’ and come across an upcoming film featuring just that – a cheerleader who goes about slaughtering and devouring her male classmates. Yes it seems that Diablo Cody of Juno fame long ago penned a horror script entitled Jennifer’s Body (titled perhaps off the Hole track of the same name from their seminal LP Live Through This) and its currently being produced with eyes on a September release. Starring Megan Fox as the title character and featuring dark humor (ala Heathers), oodles of gore, and much talked about female nudity, we have already labeled Jennifer’s Body as the best film of 2009. Now, some may disagree about labeling any piece of media as the ‘best of’ this early in the year. However, we at Cannibal Cheerleader think that we’ve found the cinematic equivalent of Merriweather Post Pavillion for 2009, and we plan to bring you obsessive coverage of the film throughout the year. Brace yourselves.
